Lighthouses in Antiquity: Case Studies of the Lighthouses at Dover, England; Patara, Turkey; and Leptis Magna, North Africa
Date
2018-12-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
There may have been upwards of 100 lighthouses in the Mediterranean, along the northern Atlantic coast, and in England during the Roman Imperial period. Lighthouses were simultaneously a common structure and triumphs of Roman engineering. They were statements of power, prestige, and identity. After the construction of the Pharos of Alexandria in 280 BCE, lighthouses came to be a typical monument in Roman harbors, and a beneficial invention that continue to be built today. Architecture has adapted and evolved over time, but lighthouses have maintained the same basic shape, structure, and function. Lighthouses are represented in the three artistic media of ancient evidence: archaeological remains, iconography, and primary (contemporary) sources. The data is uneven, however, because no ancient lighthouse known today has all three. A study of ancient lighthouses requires a holistic approach that utilizes archaeological remains, iconography, contemporary sources, historical sources, and modern scholarship. The following thesis reviews the artistic media, the history of and possible precursors to ancient lighthouses such as Bronze Age temples and Classical signal towers; the function of ancient lighthouses, and their illumination. Three case studies of the ancient lighthouses at Dover, England; Patara, Turkey; and Leptis Magna, North Africa are examined in detail. These three lighthouses differ in their historical context, dates, shape, placement, and construction materials. This thesis examines these criteria through the use of case studies and the analysis of archaeological remains, iconography, contemporary sources, and historical sources to construct a more complete view of ancient lighthouses. An in-depth study of the three lighthouses and the available evidence revealed that, although there are inconsistencies, archaeology, iconography, and contemporary sources can often each fill in the gaps where the other evidences are lacking and provide information about ancient lighthouses that we otherwise would not have. For example, archaeological remains provide information about lighthouse construction and materials, iconography offers clues regarding illumination and external construction, and contemporary sources indicate lighthouse placement and historical context. While a holistic study of ancient lighthouses cannot account for all missing information, the evidences often support one another and work together to provide a more comprehensive view on the subject.
Description
Keywords
lighthouses, archaeology, iconography